Posts for tag: Forefoot Injury

In your second, third and fourth toes there are three “toe joints” along the bones that make up each toe; sometimes this third joint or the joint farthest from the tip of your toe can become irritated and become very painful. This injury is known as metatarsalgia,or more commonly forefoot pain. (That’s so much easier to say!) Activities such as running or jumping can cause this, along with wearing shoes that are too small. This injury isn’t very serious; however it can be very painful and can put many athletes on the bench due to the pain. This injury is common to basketball players, like Lebron James or Mason Plumlee, due to the amount of running and jumping they do every day.

Some common signs of this injury are gradual pain in the forefoot, pain when bending the toes downward and sometimes excessive buildup of skin on the bottom of the foot due to the extra pressure. The common causes of this are running and jumping, but other causes can include a high arched foot, having a shortened toe bone and stress fractures of this toe bone.

Since this injury isn’t too serious the steps to relieve the symptoms can be done at home! Rest, ice and anti-inflammatory medications will help relieve the pain and tenderness of the joint within a week or two. Custom gel cushion shoe inserts can also be very helpful to absorb shock while walking or running to prevent pain and future injury. When the pain is very severe, steroid injections can be used to relieve the symptoms. Always remember that an injury should never be taken lightly, if you are experiencing any of these symptoms go talk to your local podiatrist at Affiliate Foot and Ankle Care in Edison and Monroe NJ, to get proper treatment for your feet!